Sorry,
Slightly off topic, but I was just thinking about this at the weekend.
All the santas grottos there are these days, & all the colour & sparkle & magic they put into them, the children are really lucky. The parents not so much I guess, but I was thinking back to when we got to visit santa.

The only one in town was in the Wellworths shop.
At the very back of the shop there was a door to the storeroom. Beside the door was a hand written white sign written in red marker saying santa. No tinsel in sight.
Just inside this door was a man sitting on a stool in a red outfit. A black curtain hid the storeroom.
You sat on his knee, you told him what you wanted for christmas, he gave you a toy & you left.

What in the world would a child think nowadays if you brought them somewhere like that!!!

We went to the lego one in arnots (was the best santa ever till it went away...) last year we went to arnotts again and there was no gift(i liked this idea and it made sense to my kid) but he was great real beard and all that...

Sorry,
... Beside the door was a hand written white sign written in red marker saying santa. No tinsel in sight.
Just inside this door was a man sitting on a stool in a red outfit. A black curtain hid the storeroom.
You sat on his knee, you told him what you wanted for christmas, he gave you a toy & you left.

LOL!!! What a very funny (and accurate) account of Santa visits for me too!!
We always went to visit Santa at Shaws in Waterford...the pics are still to be found at home

They had a great santa just outside dundalk last year (i think he'll be back this year also). Twenty quid per child (they didn't charge us for our one year old though) For that you got a trip on a santa sleigh, story read by one of santa's helpers, we wrote a santa letter and posted it, a present and they had a farm with reindeer.
The Santa was the most authentic i'd ever seen. He was in really old outhouse with a real fire and a rocking chair, a bed and a few kittens. The kids were captivated. So was i.

I remember the huge queues for Arnotts santa as a kid
We are going to santas house in Rostrevor this year,she will be nearly 2 but will love the magic as will I and daddy and grandparents) It is going to be a family affair! 1 set on inlaws for santy visit and 1 set for christmas
Also baba 2 is due in January so want it extra special for her.

I could well be wrong but the Santa in Arnotts comes from the Blanchardstown area.

Again I could be way off the mark but I remember seeing the kids on the bus going to school or town seeing him on the bus with a real full white beard jst before Christmas with eyes wide and chins on the ground.

For us a trip to Santa in the B Centre, nice display decent pressie and most importantly a great Santa

Green Santa will arrive at Belvedere House at 11am on Sunday 28th November by boat across Lough Ennell and will proceed to his magical grotto beyond the Wardrobe in the frozen land of Narnia. Children will enter through the enchanted Wardrobe in the indoor courtyard and travel through Narnia to visit Green Santa in his grotto where a replica of The Dawn Treader ship awaits

We are going to Santa's Wonderland in Dundalk, the one at the Ballymac roundabout, in the Strandfield Cafe grounds
its really magical....really for Everyone,
They have a Thomas the tank that takes you to the woods , they have Rudolf...a story in a log cabin.....Santa in his little house, with a big open fire

we really cound get over it , it really was so Christmassie and a real treat and day out for the whole family!

we are going back this year with our nieces and nephews ... cant wait to see there faces

The best one ive been to is breakfast with santa in the hard rock cafe you got a big fry as many muffines and other cakes as you wanted tea coffe cerail etc while you were eating santa went around the tables and sat down at the table and had a chat for a few min's then after breakfast the kids went over to this other area and got to tell santa want they wanted and got a toy and you could take your own pic's or get them to take one

We will have one come to our toddler group, same guy does about 4 events in the village so the kids think he is the real thing, he is great, he sits at the top of the room and lets the children come to him as much or a little as they want and he stays to the end of the party even after all the children have seen him. We supply a small gift for each child and they are thrilled to get them.

This will be our 3rd year in a row going. And we loved it each other year we went. The kids all went into an outhouse - where Santa's helpers read them a lovely story about Santa and the animals up at the shelter. They got to meet the shelter dog - Buster - and hear about his adventures.

Then Santa came out to meet them all. They all queued up and got a wee gift, and a photo opurtunity, and a small chat with the main man.

All in the lovely warmth and comfort - no long queues for us mammies and daddies!

Its a great place to wander around and you get to meet all the animals. There was food available, a nice coffee shop and gift shop.

Well worth it. And for all five of our family to go has cost us 34 euro this year. Its only a token charge for adults of 5 euro, which I love - and you feel like your doing some good while your at it.

I could well be wrong but the Santa in Arnotts comes from the Blanchardstown area.

Again I could be way off the mark but I remember seeing the kids on the bus going to school or town seeing him on the bus with a real full white beard jst before Christmas with eyes wide and chins on the ground.

For us a trip to Santa in the B Centre, nice display decent pressie and most importantly a great Santa

R

I remember it 20+years ago so probably a new santa now.
Remember the Switzers window? and cheeky charlies (dunno if anyone not from Dublin will know what they are)

I am amazed at all these wonderful wonderlands,I remember about 10 years ago one in Goghs that I brought my younger cousin too but didn't know so many had appeared since.

This will be our 3rd year in a row going. And we loved it each other year we went. The kids all went into an outhouse - where Santa's helpers read them a lovely story about Santa and the animals up at the shelter. They got to meet the shelter dog - Buster - and hear about his adventures.

Then Santa came out to meet them all. They all queued up and got a wee gift, and a photo opurtunity, and a small chat with the main man.

All in the lovely warmth and comfort - no long queues for us mammies and daddies!

Its a great place to wander around and you get to meet all the animals. There was food available, a nice coffee shop and gift shop.

Well worth it. And for all five of our family to go has cost us 34 euro this year. Its only a token charge for adults of 5 euro, which I love - and you feel like your doing some good while your at it.

Thanks for that , we found this on the web and have booked it for this year too . Now I know what to look forward to !